FOR THE WOMAN GARDENER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1941, Page 8

FOR THE WOMAN GARDENER

SOME USEFUL HINTS. Seeds for late winter or spring flowering must be sown now if blooms of any size are desired. If sown now’, the seedlings will be ready for transplanting before the cold weather sets in, thus ensuring sturdy plants.. Make another sowing in a fortnight's time, and the blooming period will be prolonged. Seeds of alyssum, mignonette, nastortium. and nemesia should be sown where the plants are to remain. All of these are most effective when massed. For a particularly beautiful border grow nemesia strumosa and edge with the compacta type, which is a dwarf bedder. There are brilliant colours in both types. Sow seeds of calendula (English marigold) and plant out seedlings from an earlier sowing. Apricot queen, lemon queen, campfire, golden delight, radio, and orange king are all distinctly beautiful, and will make a good show when flowers are not so plentiful.

Do not delay the planting of bulbs; the ground for these should have been prepared weeks ago. The followingbulbs may be planted now: Agapanihus, alium, alocasia, alstroemeria. amaryllis, anemone, babiana, billbergia, brodiaca, brunsvigia, clivia, crinum, cyrtanthus, daffodil, freesia, habranthus, hippeastrum, hyacinth, iris, ixia, lachenalia, morphixia, muscari (grape hyacinth), narcissus, nerine, ornithogalum pancratium, ranunculus, scilla, snowflake, sparaxis, tritonia, tulip, and watsonia.

Plant out bellis (English daisy), polyanthus. primroses, and carnations this month. Primroses are partial to shade, and should be kept moist and protected from hot winds. n

For a sheltered position try a few plants of poor man’s orchid or schizanthus (the botanical name). This plant deserves to be more widely known, as

it bears a profusion of orchid-like flowers in exquisite colours, and its foliage is dainty and fern-like. If the tips are pinched out wehn the seedlings are a few inches high, the plants will develop lateral growth, making fine bushy specimens. They make ideal pot plants.